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Educational philosophy template

You have been told you need a philosophy and you are staring at a blank page. This gives you five prompts, two real family examples and an optional Montessori section. The point is to write something honest, not to perform for the council.

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Pages
3
Format
A4 PDF
Updated
10 May 2026

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“We don’t mind what you do with it. Print it, edit it, cross out the bits that don’t fit your family. The licence is: use freely, don’t resell.”

About this template

What this template does

You have been told you need an "educational philosophy" and now you are staring at a blank document at 11pm, wondering whether you have one. You do. You just have not written it down yet.

This is a starter document with prompts. It is not a fill-in-the-blanks letter (we have separate templates for that). It is not a curriculum statement or a credentials performance. It is five questions designed to help you write something honest and specific, in your own words, about how and why you home educate.

The prompts start with what you actually believe about how children learn, move through what your days look like in practice, and finish with how you know it is working. There are two short examples from real families at different stages, so you can see the range of what "honest and complete" looks like. If your approach is Montessori-inflected, there is an optional section for that too.

For the full guidance on tone, structure and what makes a philosophy statement work (or fail), see Writing an educational philosophy without sounding like a crank.

Frequently asked.

Do I actually need an educational philosophy?
Nobody is legally required to have one. But local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland often ask for a written account of your approach after deregistration. Having one ready saves you from drafting under pressure. In Scotland it forms part of the consent application.
How long should it be?
One to three pages. Almost never longer. A short, warm, specific statement closes most LA enquiries at the first round. Length signals defensiveness more than substance.
What if I do not follow Montessori?
The prompts work for any approach. Charlotte Mason, classical, child-led, eclectic, or something you have not named yet. The optional Montessori section is clearly marked so you can skip it.
Can I just copy an example I found online?
You can use someone else's structure, but the content needs to be yours. Local authorities are looking for a description of your child and your family, not a generic statement. The prompts in this template are designed to draw out your own words.
What if I have not figured everything out yet?
That is fine. Honesty is a strength in this document. 'We are in our first six months and still settling into a rhythm' is a perfectly acceptable thing to write.

Keep reading

Companion guides from the knowledge base.

The app does this without paper

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The activity log fills the year-at-a-glance sheet for you, and the council report draft writes itself from your records. The demo is real, the data is fictional.

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